


Adronitis

by GuyOfShy



Series: Scatterings of White Roses and Sightings of Bumblebees [26]
Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Light Angst, Sick Character, Some Literal Lovesickness, White Rose - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-11
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-11-12 21:29:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11170455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuyOfShy/pseuds/GuyOfShy
Summary: Weiss has come down with a cold, and though she protests Ruby’s care, her cheerful leader just won’t leave her alone.





	Adronitis

**Author's Note:**

> In the end notes I talk about some of the trouble I had writing this fic. If you don’t want to read that junk, the important stuff is in the last paragraph. Sorry!

_‘Disgusting.’_

Weiss balled the used tissue and dropped it into the trash can that was moved next to her bed.

There were few things she detested more than being sick. Nothing could be gained from being bedridden. She couldn’t exercise, couldn’t study, and to top it all off she was stuck in bed while everyone else was at the dance—an utter waste of a day. But what frustrated her the most was that there was no reason for it. Illness was arbitrary and annoyingly beyond her control.

Just as her Scroll was beyond her reach, she discovered, when she started searching for it.

She knew if she tried to get up to retrieve it from her bag that her stomach would turn with her. She had learned that lesson already when she tried pulling her textbook from the desk and had to retreat.

"Ruby?"

The bed above her swayed, and Weiss feared as always that the poorly-suspended mattress would take her life before her illness did. But Ruby peeked down at Weiss from the side of her bed a second later as always, silver eyes examining her in concern. She hopped down, still in her pajamas, and stepped next to the ailing heiress.

Weiss cleared her throat, embarrassed by how coarsely her voice rumbled out.

"Could you bring me my Scroll? Please? I think I left it in my bag."

It didn’t help her voice sound any better, but Ruby still smiled.

"Yeah, of course Weiss.” Weiss watched her crouch near her bag and rifle through it, pulling it and something else out and bringing them over. “Here you go. I got your headphones too!"

Weiss accepted it and the buds into her hands, meeting Ruby with a quizzical glance.

“Why, exactly?”

“Uh… I don’t know, when I’m stuck in bed I like to listen to music, so, just in case you wanted to.”

She offered a smile. Weiss exhaled and unlocked her Scroll, opening her browser, logging into her account on Beacon’s website, scrolling through her grades to see what she needed to catch up on, pretending not to notice how Ruby still stood there.

"Still not feeling any better Weiss?"

She thought that her gravelly voice would have made that obvious, but she shook her head to answer her.

"Is there anything else I can do for you? Do you want some, soup, or something?"

Weiss stared at her screen instead of contending with Ruby’s uneasy eyes.

"I'll be fine Ruby. Thank you."

“Are you sure? You don’t want a drink first?”

Weiss held the buds to her ears, only now noticing how parched she was. She had assumed it was due to a sore throat, but realized that she had emptied her water bottle long ago. She didn’t want to ask for more though: she feared if she continued drinking something so flavorless it would become stale to her ailing senses.

“Oh, I know! I’ll go get the whole milk!”

“Wait, Ruby!” She stopped mid step in the doorway and turned around. “Coffee will do. If that isn’t too much to ask.” 

“Of course not Weiss. How do you like it?”

“Just, make it however you make yours, I guess.”

“You got it! Sit tight Weiss, I’ll be back in a jiffy!”

Ruby was out of the room before she finished her sentence. But even with her Semblance, Ruby wasn’t that fast. A jiffy only lasts for a hundredth of a second. But that was okay. It was the thought that counted.

Weiss put her earbuds in, hoping that would communicate to Ruby her disinterest in talking further clearly enough when she returned. She didn’t want to trouble her any more than she already was, or worse, lead her to catch whatever she was suffering from.

She reached for another tissue.

\-----

Ruby did make it back in under five minutes and that was good enough in Weiss's book, especially considering she had made a cup for herself while she was out. She removed her earbuds while Ruby walked up to her bedside and placed the mug in her hands. Weiss smiled as she took it, and less enthusiastically watched her leader pull the chair out of the desk and take a seat next to her a safe distance away.

“I see you went ahead and made one for yourself too,” Weiss remarked, seeing that Ruby held another cup in her hands that she then sat on the desk. She was mildly annoyed that Ruby sat down instead of returning to her bunk, but sat up and readied herself for conversation. It would be rude to turn her away after she had just made coffee for her.

"Oh, actually, I went ahead and brought you a second one, so you wouldn't have to wait on me again."

She nudged it toward her, beaming, apparently pleased with her own thoughtfulness.

"It wasn't that long," Weiss muttered, hiding her growing smile behind her mug. Ruby’s goofy grin was dangerously contagious. She was thankful that after the countless times she had been infected by her smile she had yet to develop a resistance to it. She hadn’t stretched those muscles all day. It quickly faded into their silence, however, and she stared at the coffee in her hands. "But Ruby, you know you don't need to do this."

Ruby’s smile crumbled into a nervous stare, and she reached for the cup she left on the table.

"Oh. Okay, I guess I’ll take it then… coffee all day probably isn’t good for someone who’s sick anyway.”

"Not that. I mean, you don't have to go through the extra trouble for me. I'll be fine."

"I know, but I... okay. If you say so Weiss. How’s the coffee?”

Weiss lifted the mug to her lips, happy to taste something other than bitter phlegm, but was sickened when she tasted more sugar than coffee. She nearly spit it out, but swallowed it before she made Ruby more upset than she already was.

“How much sugar do you put in your coffee Ruby?”

She kept her voice from shriveling even more to conceal the offensive initial taste, trying her best to keep from offending Ruby.

But Ruby shrank away and quickly took the cup back from her as well as the extra one, feeling foolish to think that Weiss would like something as sweet as she did.

“I-I don’t know, a lot? I’m sorry Weiss, let me go make some more!”

“Ruby, wait!”

She was already out of the room. Weiss sighed and fell back onto her pillows. Ruby was such a headache. Hyperactive as usual. She wished she would just stop and listen to her for one minute so she could tell her to take it easy. She hated making the younger girl feel so bad, especially when none of this was as big a deal as she was making it out to be. That was what Weiss told herself, at least, and yet she felt more sick now than when they had started talking. She lifted her arm over her forehead, wondering if it was the bad coffee that was pressing down on her so heavily.

Ruby eventually came moping through the doorway, cradling this cup closer to her and more carefully handing it to Weiss while she sat down. She sat up to receive it, looking at Ruby as she did, feeling crushed by the concern she was watched with.

“Much better,” Weiss said with a smile, but it didn’t seem to cheer Ruby up as she had hoped. “Ruby? Please don’t feel bad about something as trivial as a cup of coffee. I’m not upset. It just wasn’t my cup of coffee, if you will.”

“Okay. If you say so Weiss.” Ruby presented a heavy smile that Weiss immediately knew was forced. She had rehearsed enough of them in the mirror to recognize one when she saw it: the direct, compliant stare contrasting with the straying smile. It appeared especially out of place on Ruby, who rarely radiated anything other than sunshine with her bright eyes. “Is there anything else I can do for you? I’ll try not to mess it up again.”

Weiss knew if she declined Ruby would feel even more dejected, but she said it anyway so her leader would quit worrying about her.

“No. I won’t bother you anymore. Thank you again.”

“You’re not bothering me at all Weiss. It’s not like I’ve got anything better to do today.”

“Right. Very funny Ruby.”

“I said something funny?”

Weiss was confused by the genuine confusion in Ruby’s voice.

“There are plenty of other things you could be doing today. Training, studying, spending time with the others, or going to the dance, for that matter. And for some reason you’re wasting your time taking care of me. Like I said, I’ll be fine.”

“Well, yeah, but I’d rather stay here and spend time with you. What kind of leader would leave her BFF alone while she’s sick?”

Weiss exhaled, staring up at the bunk above her. She was more inclined to keep asking Ruby why she insisted on sticking around someone who was burning up with a fever and still continued to act so cold, but didn’t want to force the issue and make her upset. All she wanted was for them both to leave this conversation feeling better, not worse.

“Do you want me to leave Weiss?”

“Yes, because I don’t want you to catch my cold and I don’t want to waste your time. I know it’s wrong to deny support from my BFF when she only wants to help, but I don’t want you getting sick either.”

Weiss cleared her throat, reminding Ruby that she was contagious. She just wished she would get the picture already. All this cautious conversation was exacerbating her fatigue. Admitting to being Ruby’s BFF had to make her feel better: if that didn’t, she had no idea what would.

She pretended not to notice how Ruby still sat there, or how she started wringing her hands.

“Wow… I like sick Weiss. A healthy Weiss would never admit that I’m her BFF.”

“So that means you don’t like normal Weiss then. That’s reassuring.”

“Of course I like you Weiss. Otherwise I wouldn’t want to be your best friend in the first place.”

“Stop saying that.”

“BFF?”

“No! Stop saying that you like me.”

“But, I do,” Ruby said more carefully this time, suddenly aware that Weiss was irritated with her.

“But you shouldn’t! Have you not been listening to me for the past minute? I’ve been trying to get you to leave but you just won’t go. You’re making my headache worse.”

Weiss held her hand to head, thumb on her temple, feigning her pains. It wasn’t a headache, but she hurt deep in her chest. And now a weighty regret threatened to smother her as she wondered why in the world she allowed such a callous outburst to erupt. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Ruby. She knew she was still sitting there. After all that she still wouldn’t leave.

“I guess you don’t like me as much then.”

“Of course I do. Dolt.”

“Then why can’t I stay? What am I doing to make you mad?”

“I’m not mad! You just… I don’t know.” Weiss inhaled and exhaled, a sense of heartache suddenly coming over her that was very real, unlike the headaches she was pretending to suffer from. It was too late to get Ruby to leave anyway. She finally turned toward her leader, ashamed of the injured expression she was wearing. “Why are you always so nice to me?”

It came off more as a demand than a question, brimming with intense curiosity that Weiss didn’t intend to show.

“Because… I just really like you Weiss. Oh, sorry!” Ruby cowered but continued when Weiss ignored her slip. “Um… I know that calling you my BFF doesn’t really mean anything, but you are my best friend Weiss, and I just want to be yours too.”

“But why? I’ve never been nice to you. Ever since the day we met you’ve been nice, and I’ve been mean. So why are you still continuing to be so nice when I’m still so mean?”

“Because I feel like if you really hated me you would do something about it. If you really never wanted to speak to me again then you wouldn’t have. You said yourself that you’re trying to be nicer, and I can tell! And besides that, you’re a lot of things that I’m not. Smart, responsible, coordinated, uh… eloquent! And pretty… I kind of hope that by hanging out with you some of that will rub off on me. Minus the prettiness obviously. That, and we’re supposed to be partners for the next four years after all, so I don’t want you to feel like you’re just stuck with me.”

“And that’s why you’re taking care of me now, too.”

“Trying, yeah.”

Weiss stared down at her lap, hating how feeble Ruby sounded. Smart, responsible, coordinated, eloquent… pretty… perhaps the only time someone had genuinely said those words to her. She wanted to prove more than anything that she could be nice, too, since Ruby deserved it more than anyone else, but before she ever got the chance Ruby showered her with kindness and never asked for any in return. Weiss was never asked to make coffee for her. She was never asked to help her study. That was all she wanted. That was what always made her feel heartless, being so deeply indebted to her partner.

“Sorry Ruby.”

Her words rumbled out, and she cleared her throat again.

“Why are you sorry Weiss?”

“Stop. Isn’t it obvious? I’m sorry for not being nice to you when that’s the only way you have ever treated me. It’s unfair, and I’ve treated you wrongly. I’m just not used to someone showing so much concern over me… and I’ve never had a best friend before.”

“Thanks Weiss. I just want to make you happy.”

Ruby’s voice trailed off, which seemed peculiar to Weiss at that moment. It was a perfect opportunity for her leader to deliver one of her clumsily charismatic speeches she was so fond of giving, but she remained silent.

“Ruby?”

The redhead stared at her knees while her words softly rolled out.

“Do I make you happy Weiss?” 

“Yes. Of course Ruby.”

“But, I always mess things up, and you usually have to clean up after me. I make dumb calls out on missions, I don’t study when I should, I forget stuff a lot, and I can’t even make you a cup of coffee right… so I always feel like you’re upset with me.”

“That’s why we’re partners Ruby. We’re supposed to help each other, and I don’t mind helping you because you don’t mind helping me either. Like when I need someone to wake me up in the mornings and when I need a sparring partner, or someone I can trust. I’m happy just knowing that you’re willing to make me coffee Ruby, much less keep me company while I’m sick. Even when I’m just off by myself you offer to keep me company. I can’t be upset with someone so kind.”

Ruby’s hands were balled up on her legs. She stared down at them, waiting a long time while she absorbed what Weiss had said.

“Do you really mean all that Weiss?” She asked her hands. “I feel bad, like I’m constantly holding you back. I really just want to be better for you so you can be happy with me but I feel like I’m always screwing up around you.”

Weiss scoffed. It was a reflex, her natural way of answering silly questions, but she cursed herself for it when Ruby blanched. Weiss would have loved to reach out for her hand, but she was contagious after all, and she cursed that too.

“Of course I mean that. I know I never say it out loud, but, I cherish your friendship Ruby. More than my some of my own family. I get upset because I count on you too, but you never ever ask me to help you with anything. I want to be nice to you too, you know. I just don’t know how to make it up to you and that’s what irritates me.”

Weiss heard Ruby inhale, and watched her uncurl her fingers to grip her knees.

“Really? Thanks Weiss. I’m sorry, I feel bad asking you, because… well, I don’t know really. But, you don’t need to make it up to me, I-”

Weiss held up her hand to keep Ruby still while she held her attention: she sought to change the subject before the conversation became even more confusing.

“I’m also irritated right now because you still refuse to go enjoy yourself at the dance. There’s still time left, so just go already. We’ll talk about this more later, when I’m feeling better and in a healthier mood.”

Ruby looked at her, but her eyes darted away when Weiss suggested leaving.

“But I… I don’t think dances are really my thing. I’m not much of a fancy, pantsy, dancey kind of girl.”

“You don’t have to be. Just go and talk to your friends, or hang out with Jaune or your sister or somebody.”

“But I-”

She was silenced again by Weiss’s hand.

“Wait. Let me guess. You would rather hang out with me.”

“Yeah, but see… funny thing about the dance.” Ruby absently rubbed her hands together while she spoke. “Uh… I don’t have a date.”

“And? I don’t have one either Ruby. But that can’t stop you from enjoying the evening. I would still go if I could. Just ask a friend for a dance if you want to dance that badly.”

“Well, there isn’t anyone I… the thing is, Weiss… how do I put this?” Ruby sighed and dropped her head, but Weiss detected the red crawling up her ears.

“What? Spit it out already.”

“Will you go with me Weiss?”

Ruby flipped her head up to stare straight at Weiss. Her cheeks were as red as her cape.

“What? Go with you? To the dance? I, I thought you didn’t want to go!”

“Because before, you were telling me to just ask a friend if I wanted to go that badly, and we’re best friends so I asked you. That’s why I’m not going tonight. Because you’re not going.”

Ruby sputtered her last words out in three successive bursts, each one bewildering Weiss more than the last. She was afraid Ruby was going to crush her own knees with how tightly she was holding them.

“Y-You, wanted to go with me?” Weiss repeated, unsure if she understood her correctly and feeling an identical blush forming in her cheeks.

“Yeah. For a long time, actually.”

“Then why didn’t you ask me before? You never brought it up once, or even mentioned the dance until today.”

“I don’t know, I was too nervous! I thought for sure you would have said no and that everyone else in the school would have asked you already, y’know, because you’re Weiss and you’re smart and talented and coordinated and eloquent and pretty, so I was just going to ask for one dance with you because we’re partners… but now you’re sick, so I figured I might as well stay here.”

“But, but you just said you weren’t a fancy, dancey, pantsy kind of girl!”

“I just assumed that you were because, again, you’re Weiss! You’re great at everything, so I assumed you’re great at dancing too and I was going to let you lead and I was just going to try to keep up.”

While it was true that Weiss could dance, she was faring poorly in trying to keep up with the frantic logic Ruby was attempting to defend herself with now that she had spilled her secret. It wasn’t obvious. That wasn’t the right word; Ruby had disguised her feelings well enough from Weiss. But it made sense now, why Ruby was always so nice to her, why she went to such extremes not to bother her. She didn’t really want to be BFFs. That wasn’t enough. Weiss just needed a moment to accept it.

“So, Ruby? When you said you liked me…”

Ruby nodded, a nervous grin curling her lips in a way Weiss could only find joy in after having watched her frown for so long. She instantly turned away to stop staring, her cheeks now burning hotter than her forehead. She couldn’t finish her sentence. Her jaw tightened and refused to budge.

“There’s no point in going to the dance if you aren’t, so, that’s why I’m here.” Ruby’s voice trailed off again. A long silence followed where she waited for Weiss’s reaction, but the heiress couldn’t speak. “I know you probably don’t feel the same way, but I just figured you should know, so… I’ll just leave you alone already Weiss. Sorry.”

Weiss heard her clothes ruffling as she stood up.

“I wouldn’t have objected to taking you if you had only thought to ask.” She mumbled it to more to herself than to Ruby, who nervously moved back toward her.

“What do you mean Weiss?”

Weiss turned back over to face her, staring as sincerely into her concerned silver eyes as she could.

“How could I ever turn down a dance with you Ruby? You’ve done so many kind things for me. The least I could do is be your date to the dance. Especially considering I don’t have a date to begin with.” Weiss took a breath, suddenly finding it hard to look at Ruby any longer.

“R-Really? And, wait a minute! You’re saying that not a _single_ person asked you to the dance?!”

“I just told you that a minute ago Ruby.”

“I thought you meant you didn’t have a date because you were sick! You mean _no one_ asked you?”

“Is it really that impossible to you?”

“Are you joking? Of course! That’s- that’s- it is impossible!”

Weiss could not comprehend what Ruby was saying. Of all the people who might think that, and after how long Ruby had been exposed to her polar behavior, somehow she still believed that. That was inconceivable. Impossible.

“No, no one asked me. Not until you, at least,” Weiss said, exhaling and smiling at her, feeling that sickly blush in her cheeks again. “Thank you for asking, by the way. I would be happy to be your date to the dance Ruby.”

“Oh. Wait, really? You do want to?“ Ruby still smiled even as she asked, unable to curb her mounting excitement, as evidenced by how she swayed to and fro in her chair.

“You’re the one who asked me to go with you! Do you really still doubt me? Like I said, I want to be nice to you too. I just supposed that that would be a good way to start is all. But, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t happy that you like me.”

Weiss folded her arms, pretending not to notice how brightly Ruby was staring at her, but she couldn’t get over it. It was wonderful to watch. This was the happiest she had seen her all semester. She smiled back, hoping that she had made up for how rude she had been earlier. 

”So, you do like me Weiss?”

Weiss didn’t know off the top of her head. Whatever she felt toward Ruby was delicate, swelling, twisting around itself and she was afraid to acknowledge it, but the more she thought about it, the more obvious it seemed that she did. If she could be so happy just knowing that Ruby liked her back, then that was good enough of an indicator. How long, she wondered. Not like it mattered at this point; even through all this tension Ruby still wanted to make her happy, just like always. Weiss desired to do the same, and the answer as to how was obvious, however unsure she might have sounded when she said it.

“Yes. I do like you Ruby.” Weiss watched her unable to resist smiling, balling up her fists, but stopped her before she could speak. “But that leads me to my next question.”

Weiss’s thoughts had gone wandering further past liking her. She carefully gauged Ruby’s reaction, unsure of whether she should finish her sentence or not, but she was still curious about Ruby’s altruistic admiration of her… and how she had called her pretty.

“Are you… asking me out?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess I am,” she giggled. “Hey Weiss. Would you want to be my date to the dance? Maybe we could go out some other time too, if you wanted. Together.”

Weiss couldn’t help but smile. Ruby seemed confident in asking at this point, and Weiss now felt confident about her answer.

“Yes. I would love that Ruby.”

Somehow Ruby looked even happier than before. This was the happiest Weiss had ever seen her. She watched her nervously smiling, feeling that infectious grin taking over again but feeling something else scratching at her throat. Weiss abruptly turned and hacked into her sleeve, returning with a miserable frown once she recovered.

“Sorry, Ruby. I really ruined the moment, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, a little bit. But you’re still sick after all Weiss. Do you want me to leave?”

Weiss cleared her throat again.

“Of all the foolish things you’ve said today. You can stay Ruby, but so help me if you let yourself get sick! What I want now is for us to have our dance, but I don’t think I’ll be able to by tonight.”

“Well, then when you’re all better, why don’t you and I have our own little dance together in here? We can still wear our dresses and everything. It’ll be like a date,” Ruby murmured, twisting her hair around her fingers, a blush arriving quickly on her cheeks.

“Sure. It’s a date, then.”

Weiss smiled at Ruby and Ruby smiled back. They started off small, as silent acknowledgments of each other’s feelings, being too embarrassed to actually say anything, but they grew as they watched each other struggling to contain them. Ruby soon started giggling which easily dragged a chuckle out of Weiss too.

Weiss cleared her throat again.

“Hey, Ruby? I feel a lot better now. Not about my sickness, but about me. And us. And just so we’re clear, I’ve never gone out with anyone before, much less been someone’s date to the dance, so I don’t really know what I’m doing. But if this is how I can make you happy then I’m all for it.”

“I’ve never gone out with anyone either. I know that must be pretty hard to believe,” she chuckled with the bouncy optimism Weiss was familiar with and relieved to hear again. “So we’re kinda stuck in the same boat. But I’m happy that you’re happy about it, and I’m really happy that you like me too Weiss. I’m honestly trying not to freak out right now.”

“It is hard to believe. Impossible, actually.”

How the rest of the student body wasn’t already infatuated by Ruby’s charm and compassion Weiss didn’t know. But she was happy she could finally return the favor. And if only she weren’t sick, she could be even happier, dancing with Ruby, holding each other… she anxiously wondered when they would be able to have their date. She couldn’t wait to see Ruby in her dress. How pretty she must be in formal attire…

“What was that Weiss?”

“Huh?” Silver eyes examined at her in concern. “I-I…”

She speechlessly stared wide-eyed at Ruby, her vocabulary far out of reach and melting in the heat rising in her cheeks again.

“That was really cute Weiss,” Ruby giggled with that adorable grin curling her lips.

“Sh-Shut up…”

Weiss grumbled, but still smiled. No one had ever called her cute either.

She started to return the compliment but fell victim to another coughing fit before she could get it out. She sniffled and took a deep breath, exhaling to confirm it wasn’t about to interrupt again. She drank from her coffee to wash it away, just to be sure.

“I was trying to say that you’re cute too, Ruby. I bet I don’t look so good when I’m coughing like that, huh?”

“Gee, well thanks Weiss. Even in the middle of a coughing fit you’re still pretty to me. But are you sure you don’t want me to get some more medicine or something?”

“No,” Weiss sighed as she checked the time on her Scroll knowing it was still too early for another dose. “I can’t have more for another hour.”

“Aw. I’m sorry I’ve been talking to you so much then. Do you want me to leave you alone so you can rest a while?”

“I already told you no Ruby. I’m happy you’re keeping me company. Just wait a little longer. I promise we’ll have our dance, or, our date, as soon I’m better.”

“Don’t worry about it Weiss,” Ruby cheerfully said.

Weiss watched her smile, and she smiled back, and for reasons she couldn’t explain it inspired a greater happiness in her than she had felt in months. Weiss almost rooted for her high spirits to ward away her sickness. She felt so childish, unable to stop smiling.

She held a hand to her cheek to hide it while reminding herself she was sick and that she would be for at least the rest of the night. She breathed and lied back down, resigning herself to her pillow. For the time being, she could at least be relieved that Ruby didn’t mind waiting for and taking care of her. She had been waiting for a long time, after all, which Weiss presently felt guilty about despite Ruby just telling her not to. All she could think about was how long she had kept her waiting. Since the day they met? Since they became partners? Maybe since the first time Ruby had called her BFF. Perhaps only for the month since the prom was announced, but even still, that was a month too long.

Weiss reached for another tissue, hating that she had to be sick when she had just been asked out by said partner. Now she had to quell the new anxious enthusiasm growing inside her as well as subdue her sickness, and she was finding trouble holding it all together. It was delicate, swelling, twisting around itself. She had no idea how Ruby could stand to harbor these feelings for as long as she had.

“I don’t suppose you have a cure for lovesickness,” she said as she dropped the tissue into the trash can.

The sweet smile Ruby answered with certainly wasn’t helping.

“I was going to ask you the same thing, but I’m pretty confident that I’ll have the answer once you’re up and at ‘em again.”

Weiss smiled back. After all this, she had been infected by Ruby instead of the other way around. But maybe once they started dancing and going on dates together, and all the other things Weiss could only dream of as she lay in her bed, they would find the cure together. It was the least Weiss could do for her after making her feel this way for so long, and she promised herself she would make it up to her in time - once she was out of bed, of course.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by “The Agency Group” by Alvvays, one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands. I usually don’t care to do ‘origin’ fics for relationships after the first one since I feel like I’m not very good at them, but I wanted to write something sorta serious again… I’ve been in that kind of mood lately.
> 
> THIS is the one that’s been taking me so long, and all for the same reasons Kintsugi did: I started it and didn’t know where I was going or how I was getting there. I just knew Weiss was sick and she was going to argue a bit with Ruby, and it took me a very long time to figure anything else out. That, and this one is also very personal to me so I was again very critical of what and how I wrote… I was initially going to trash this fic entirely because I didn’t like how it was coming along, but kept it because I like the White Rose Weiss-is-sick idea but just not how I wrote it. I came up with better component to pull it together (the conflict over the dance) and it eventually came out better. One of the bigger problems I ran into near the end was how much I dragged it out. It wasn’t my intention, but I wasn’t satisfied with where I left it until that last part. I just hope it doesn’t feel like too much, or like overkill.
> 
> But all in all I feel better about this fic now. I wrote what I wanted to write and it says what I wanted to say, but please, let me know what you think. I welcome any and all criticism. And again, sorry it took me so long. So next I’m going to write something for FF XIII, but after that I plan on writing more White Rose for quite a while. I’ve got a lot of fics planned for these two, so until then, thank you so much for reading everyone, and have a wonderful day :)


End file.
